The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-05-23
MAIL ROBBERS.
Relentless Pursuit Of Dishonest Employees OF the
Postal Service-A One. Dollar Bill with His.


Attached to the United States Mail
service is a corps oisharp-witted and
keen. eyed detectives, whose exploits
are seldom recorded in the columns Of
The newspapers, but who perform no
small part in the safe conduct OF the
postal arrangements OF the country.
The men who compose the corps are
known as postofiicein inspectors. They
are sometimes COMPOUNDED with the
agents of the United States Service
Bureau, but are in fact ofan entirely
distinct and separate organization,
having not even a remote connection
with the latter.
New York is the most fruitful field
Tor the postoflice inspector to exercise
his genius. The headquarters OF the
corps was formerly situated at the
southeast corner OF the Federal build
ing, up one flight OF stairs, but recent
ly, on account OF the public character
of the situation. the bureau was trans.
ferred to two large apartments on the
fourth floor, where the work OF the
office is carried on free from the noise
OF the street and intrusion OF the pub
lie.
Every complaint which comes
to the postmaster OF letters which
have never found their destination
is referred to the inspect
or for his thorough examination.
Not day goes by in which there are
not several complaints OF this descrip-
ton, and consequently the inspect or's
hands are full with the hundreds OF
cases which accumulate so rapidly as
to overburden his desk
1t is said ola great express company
that it never permits dishonest EN-
ploye to go unpublished, even il it
should require years OF high.priced de.
tective skill in which to hunt him
down, no matter how small may be
the amount ofloss which the company
has suffered. Records show that this
express company has pursued thiev-
ing servant for twenty years before n
capture was effected.
The United States Government is
scarcely less relentless with the rob-
bers OF the mails, but it seldom takes
so long time to corner the culprit.
There is no branch ofpublc or private
industry where dishonesty is so certain
OF ultimate detection as in the United
States postal service. A single theft
may possibly escape notice, but a
succession OF thefts will make the
theft's apprehension but a question OF
time.
The postoffice inspector is al
ways a quiet, gentlemanly per-
son. His dress is that OF n
well.to-do business man. There
is nothing about him OF the detective OF
fiction or the drama. He is familiar
with the faces OF hundreds OF the sub
ordinates OF the Office, few OF whom
know him even by sight. Hispresence
is always dreaded.
One OF the inspectors attached to
the New York postotlice told a News
reporter one day some oil the methods
used in the detection OF criminals in
the service. The narrator is n tall,
slender parsonage, OF perhaps forty
years, who has passed the
major part OF his life in the
postal service, having been in the
postofiice in Boston, in the railway
mail service between Boston and this
city, and later an inspector in charge
OF the Southern division Of the depart
ment. A keen, dark eye and shrewd
Yankee face are all that distinguish
him from the thousands one meets in
elbowing ones way through crowded
Broadway. He said:
"When a clerk or letter carrier once
begins to pilfer from the mails he never
stops until arrested. Upon that fact
depends the certainty OF his apprehen-
sion sooner or later. The chief weap-
on upon which we rely for catching
the criminal is the decoy letter, in
which is inclosed a marked bill or
bills. could tell many an interest
ing experience in that connection"
The inspector then took from
capacious pocketbook 81 United
States Treasury note well marked in
blue ink.
81 have" he continued, "caught
ten thieves with this particular bill.
Somehow, / do not know why,
there is certain fatality
connected with marked bills,
and il put one marked and two UNI
marked bills in aletter which is stolen,
the thief seldom spends the one which
is sure to cause his detection.
"I lost the other day, however, a
81 bill which caused the arrest ofover
forty clerks and lettercarriers. IL was
covered with privatemarks.
placed in IL a decoy letter with one |